The present invention relates to a device equipped with flanges, by means of which an exchange of cold and heat can be effected by a surrounding medium, a procedure for the manufacture of said device and the range of its application.

The principal object of the present inven¬ tion is to provide a device of the kind mentioned above, which for one thing is easy to manufacture, so that it lends itself to be made by extrusion, and for another thing is simple and effective in use, as in addition to exhibiting great surfaces of its flanges it does not require complica¬ ted and expensive working operations and moreover can find varying applications within a great number of ranges.

Said object is obtained by means of a device designed according to the present invention, which is sub¬ stantially characterized by the flanges being supported by a core located at the centre of the device and extending in the longitudinal direction of the same, said flanges extending in outward direction as counted from said core and exhibiting a shape extending in the longitudinal direct¬ ion of said core.

An example of embodiment of the invention will be described in the following, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view of a vertical cross-section through the wall of a refrigerator with the refrigeration unit mounted therein, said unit being among other things formed by two devices according to the. invention, which have been coupled together, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the de¬ vice,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on an enlar¬ ged scale of a portion of the device,

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view on an en¬ larged scale of a portion of a cooling and heating flange of the device,

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view on an en- larged scale of an external flange portion of the device,

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view on an en¬ larged scale of a fastening means of the device.

Fig. 7 is a view of a vertical cross-sectio of an additional example of embodiment of the application of the device in a refrigerator,

Fig. 8 is a view of a vertical cross-sectio through the device according to Fig. 1,

Fig. 9 is a view of a vertical cross-sectio through the device according to Fig. 7, and Fig. 10 is likewise a view of a cross-secti through the device according to Fig. 7 but along another plane than the one illustrated in Fig. 9.

A device for the exchange of cold and heat is in the Figs. 1-10 indicated with 1, and a core located at the centre of said device and extending in the longitu¬ dinal direction of the same is indicated with 2. Flanges indicated with 3 extend from said, core 2 in outwards direc tion and exhibit a shape of long extension in the longitu¬ dinal direction of said core 2 and the device 1. The core 2 exhibits a substantially rectangular cross-section, prefe¬ rably such a one of square form, and as is clearly evident from Fig. 2, it is provided with legs 4, which in outwards direction project from the centre of the core 2, said legs likewise exhibiting a shape of long extension in the longi- tudinal direction of the device 1. Most of said flanges 3 are supported by these legs 4 and are placed in a substant¬ ially parallel arrangement in relation to each other betwe two adjacent legs 4, which is also the case with flanges 5 projecting from the core 2 in the same direction. In order to increase the ^" contact surface of the flanges 3, 5 their laterally extending sides are prov-

ided with zig-zag formed surfaces 6 in angular arrange¬ ment, but these surfaces can of course also exhibit another design, as for example a wave form or a stepped shape.

There are two fastening means 7 each one 5 located on its side of diametrically opposed sides of the central axis of the core 2, said means in the illustrated embodiment comprising one clasping portion 7, but it can of course be designed in a different manner and be provided with more than two fastening units. Four fastening means 10 located right in front of each other can for example be provided on the core 2. Fastening means 8 similar to the ones just described are located at the end of each one of the four legs 4 projecting from the core, and the function and purpose of the fastening means 7, 8 will be explained 5 below. At the ends^ of the flanges 5 projecting from the core 2 there are chute shaped fastening portions 9 extend¬ ing in direction against each other, the function of which also will be explained below.

The device 1 described above lends itself to

20 be manufactured of aluminum by extrusion. It is then extru¬ ded as a profile of long extension in lengths, which will subsequently be cut to a desired size, this taking place either in the factory, or when the device is mounted. The cross-section-of the profile is substantially of circular

25 shape apart from the flanges 5 of the core, which only pro¬ ject to the level reached by the two adjacent leg flanges 3. This arrangement serves the purpose that after the extrusion the profile will rest on a foundation being supported by said two core flanges 5 and the leg flanges 3 respectively. -- ⁰ There are several ranges of application for the device, and it can be mentioned by way of example that the device can be used in connection with heat pumps of for example the thermo-electric kind and preferably of the type with elements producing the Peltier effect. It can then for -^ one thing serve as supporting means for a fan motor 10 with i-s fan 11, as is evident from Figs. 1 and 7 respectively,

in order to among other things bring about a circulation of air past the flanges 3, 5. The device 1 also serves the purpose to offer space for the location of such a heat pump 12, which then will occupy a position in the inter- space between two devices 1 placed side by side and held together tightly.

The difference between the constructions illustrated in Figs. 1 and 7 substantially concerns the manner, in which the fan is mounted. In Fig. 1 it is shown, how the fan motors 10 and their respective fans 11 are lo¬ cated in the recesses 13 and 14 respectively in the respec¬ tive device 1, and in Fig. 8 the form of said recesses 13, 14 is shown, and in addition also a transversal bore 15 is shown, which is provided for the wiring installation for the fan motor 10.

The device 1, which is shown in the drawing, is designed to support the thermo-electric heat pump 12, which comprises a number of thermo-electric elements 12, which are coupled together and are of the type, that pro- duces the Peltier effect. When the device is used in refri¬ gerators, said Peltier type elements 12 are enclosed in an opening 16 of a mounting plate 17, which exhibits holes 13 in order to receive fastening bolts, by means of which the plate is in its turn attached to the wall of the refrige- rator. Said fastening plate 17, which also serves the pur¬ pose of a gasket, in order to for example impede that vib¬ rations which are transmitted to the refrigerator, is for¬ med by an insulating layer of for example polyethylene plas¬ tics, which on one of its plane surfaces, viz. the ^" one fac- ing away from the refrigerator and is denominated the warm side and in the drawing is seen to the left, is provided with a fastening ring 19. The other plane surface of the plats 17, which, thus, is facing the cold side, can in its turn be provided with a layer of foil 20, as is shown in - the drawinσ.

The two units 1, each one with one of its ends facing the other, are kept together by means of rods 21 of long extension and at their ends provided with threads. These rods 21 are led through the fastening means 7 projecting from the core 2 and at their respective ends . support fastening plates 22, which at their centre exhibit an opening 24 of a size adapted to the hub 23 of the fan. After tightening of the bolts 25, the two units 1 are pressed together and thereby clamp the thermoelements 12 in between them, the units 1 being tightly pressed against the plate 17 at the same time as the fan motors 10 inserted into the recesses 13 are held by the respective fastening plate 22. The fan 11 on the warm side, which is to the left in the drawings, is received in the recess 14 of the device 1, and the fan 11 is in a corresponding manner placed in a similar recess 14 on the cold side of the second unit 1, said recess 14 besides along its periphery supporting a ring 26 for the air discharge. A protective grating 27 is provided on the side of each respective fan 11, which grat- ing can be designed as a wire net or exhibit any other simi¬ larly suitable form, and is held by means of screws 23 co¬ operating with the fastening means 8. Said screws 28 can in¬ stead be designed as rods similar to the rods 21. The gratin 27 as well as ^" the unit 1 are then held by the same common fastening elements, in which case possibly also the central rods 21 may be dispensed with.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 7 the fans 11 are enclosed in protective hoods 29. Then only the recess 13 with the connecting wiring duct 15 needs be made in the ex- tr ded and cut-off profiled unit 1. Expensive working opera¬ tions can thereby be avoided. In a manner similar to the one in which the gratings 27 of the previous embodiment are held, the hoo s 29 are attached by means of screws 28 or other suitable fastening means cooperating with the fastening mean 8 of the respective unit 1. Air inlet openings 30 are made at the ends of said hoods 29, and one hood 29 also supports

a ther ostate on its cold side.

A device 1 according to the description above and by means of screws 32 fastened to a refrigerator wall 33 functions as follows. The Peltier elements 12 are connected with an electric power source in an in itself known manner, so that a current flows through the same and produces the cooling of one unit 1, viz. the cold one, and a warming up of the other unit 1, viz. the warm one. When the predetermined temperature has been reached, the thermo- state 31 cuts off the current supply to the elements 12, whereas the- circuit again is closed, when the thermostate 31 senses that the temperature is rising. The air, which by actuation of the fans 11 flows in past the fan blades 11, gives rise to a heat transfer between the units 1 and the air, as is shown by the arrows in Fig. 1 asid 7 respectively, whereby said units 1 are cooled off. The air on the warm side is at an angle of 90° deflected towards the plate 17, 19, 20 and subsequently flows in radial direction between the flanges 3, 5, whereas the air on ^* the cold side is de- fleeted over substantially 180° and in substantially axial direction is conducted backwards along the flanges 3, 5 out¬ side of the ring 26.

In the embodiments described the invention is applied to ^' refrigerators. However, the invention can also find an application in storage spaces for warm-keeping pur¬ pose or for dehumidification of ventilating installations, if the insulating plate 17-20 is emitted and the unit is mounted in a tube, whereby an air passage parallel to the axis of the whole device is obtained. One of the fans can then be dispensed with. A warming-up effect instead of cool¬ ing can be obtained by reversing the polarity of the Peltier elements.

The fastening means 9 on the core flanges 5 serve the purpose to receive a plate-shaped portion, by way of example designed to support a thermostate or in order to form the wall of a wiring duct, by which arrangement the

wires to the fan motors and other wires will be effecti¬ vely protected from the fans 11.

The invention is not limited to the embodi¬ ment described above and illustrated in the drawings by way of example only, but can be varied as to its details within the scope of the following claims. Other cross- sections and arrangements of the flanges than the ones shown can of course be chosen, and the manner, in which the units are fastened can likewise be varied. The fasten- ing ring 17-20 shown in the drawing can by way of example be made of a selfsupporting material such as for example sandwich laminate of polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride or other material with a low value of heat transfer. A greater range of possibilities to chose the mounting arrangement of the device is then obtained, as it can take place from the inside as well as the outside of the wall of the space, in which the device shall be used.